Morocco To Stage 2013 & 2014 World Club Cup Tournaments

byPhilip MboyaonDecember 20, 2011

Morocco will become the first African country to host the FIFA World Club Cup finals in 2013 and 2014 after a successful tournament in Japan this year. The tournament will however remain in Japan in 2012 before moving to the North African nation in 2013.

The world governing football body revealed that Morocco won the rights to host the tournament after the withdrawal of bidders South Africa, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Sepp Blatter said that the tournament will be excellent in all aspects in Morocco.

“We were given a presentation by the Moroccan Federation and I expect the tournament will be excellent in all aspects – logistical, cultural and financial,” Blatter said.

Meanwhile, the stage is set for Thursday’s African Player of the year award ceremony that is scheduled to be held in the West African nation of Ghana. Excitement in the host city Accra is growing each and everyday with the nearing of the event.

This will be the second time the ceremony will be held in the Banquet Hall , State House with the first being in 2009. The event is expected to be the best ever held with the event organisers, True Colours Events from South Africa promising an ‘explosive ceremony’.

“We are on working feverishly towards the plan. We are on course and will deliver a show that will last forever in the minds of the guests. We are promising a display of celebrating the finest of African football,” Bobby Scot True Colours Events CEO said.

With the AFCON tournament set to kick off in month’s time, a number of African representatives have already made plans for their residential training camps.

Ivory Coast winners of the tournament in 1992 will hold their training session in the United Arab Emirates where they will play a friendly with Lebanon before leaving for Equatorial Guinea.

The Elephants are among the favourites for the tournament and have been grouped in the group of death Group B alongside Burkina Faso, Sudan and Angola.

Other Nations considered as favourites are Mali, Senegal and Guinea. The tournament will be played from January 21st to February 12th.